Editing PG Tips (section)

==Advertising==
Unlike the blended teas many companies were producing, Brooke’s teas were pure, high quality teas from India and China. Brooke realised the importance of advertising early on, introducing the slogan, "Good tea unites good company, exhilarates the spirits, banishes restraint from conversation and promotes the happiest purposes of social intercourse."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.englishteastore.com/pgtips-history.html|title=PG Tips History|work=englishteastore.com|access-date=19 September 2017}}</ref>

===The Tipps family (1956–2002)===
In 1956, PG Tips began using [[anthropomorphic]] [[Common chimpanzee|chimpanzees]] in their television advertisements. These were dressed in human clothes in the fashion of [[chimpanzees' tea party]] and were known as the "Tipps family." Their voices were often provided by celebrities, such as [[Peter Sellers]], [[Donald Sinden]] and [[Bob Monkhouse]]. By 1958, PG Tips had risen from fourth to first place in the British tea market.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/inside-story-the-pg-tips-ads-796752.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419174613/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/inside-story-the-pg-tips-ads-796752.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 19, 2009|title=Inside Story: The PG Tips ads|date=17 March 2008|work=[[The Independent]]|location=London|access-date=19 September 2017}}</ref> The chimpanzees were from [[Twycross Zoo]] in Leicestershire.<ref name="heath">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-23508215|title=PG Tips chimps: The last of the tea-advertising apes|date=January 9, 2014|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

These advertisements were stopped in the 1970s after complaints made by animal rights organisations. However, the chimpanzees were brought back 18 months later when sales began to drop. The last 'Tipps family' advert was broadcast in January 2002.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1381207/After-45-years-the-PG-Tips-chimps-retire.html|title=After 45 years the PG Tips chimps retire|last= Leonard|first=Tom|date=12 January 2002|work=The Telegraph|location=London|access-date=19 September 2017}}</ref> The PG Tips chimpanzees spawned a spinoff in memorabilia which include trading cards and figurines. Prior to the chimpanzee-inspired cards, PG Tips had included [[Brooke_Bond#Cards|trading cards]] modelled on [[cigarette card]]s, but targeted at children. Production of these ceased in 1999 for unknown reasons.

In January 2014, Twycross Zoo reported that 42-year-old Choppers was the last surviving PG Tips chimp, after her co-habitant Louis had died in his enclosure in July the previous year. Louis had played the [[bowler hat]]-wearing Mr Shifter in the advert with the punchline: "Dad, do you know the piano's on my foot?" "You hum it, son, I'll play it!"<ref name="heath"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hatads.org.uk/catalogue/record/6d28eced-92f0-423d-8274-856df419d2c0|title=PG Tips Commercial: Mr Shifter &#124; Catalogue &#124; History of Advertising Trust|website=www.hatads.org.uk}}</ref>

===The T-Birds (2002–2005)===
The "Tipps family" were replaced in January 2002, with a house-sharing group of [[claymation]] birds called the T-Birds (which consisted of Tom the owl, Maggie the pigeon, Pete the starling, and Holly the blue tit), animated by [[Aardman]], the company behind [[Wallace and Gromit]] and ''[[Chicken Run]]''. In Ireland, these commercials were still airing by the end of 2006, though advertising Lyons Tea (another Unilever brand), even though Holly was renamed as Niamh to fit in with Irish audiences.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.teadog.com/blog/lyons-tea-a-brief-history/|title=During T-Birds appearances on Lyons Tea advertising in Ireland, Holly was renamed as Niamh.|access-date=2022-10-09|archive-date=2022-10-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009143307/https://www.teadog.com/blog/lyons-tea-a-brief-history/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

This led to PG Tips becoming a major partner with Wallace and Gromit's first film ''[[Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit|The Curse of the Were-Rabbit]]'', launched in October 2005. PG offered Gromit mugs on pack in the supermarket. According to ''The Grocer'' magazine, Unilever reported that during the Gromit mug promotion, PG Tips sales increased 600%. Wallace and Gromit also appeared in an advert with Lady Tottington (another character from the film) around the same time.

In 2005, PG Tips celebrated its 75th anniversary with special packs, including a limited-edition Golden pack, and a one-off [[Diamond]] tea bag. The Diamond tea bag cost £7,500, and was made by Boodles jewelers and used Makaibari Silver Tips (Imperial).<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Pgtips800large.jpg|thumb|300px|Diamond encrusted PG Tips tea bag]] -->

===Monkey (2007–2024, 2025–)===
{{more citations needed section|date=July 2022}}
In January 2007, PG Tips reunited [[Johnny Vegas]] as Al and the [[ITV Digital]] [[Monkey (character)|Monkey]] character made by Paul Jomain, puppeteered by [[Nigel Plaskitt]] and Susan Beattie, and voiced by [[Ben Miller]]. ITV Digital had used the Monkey character in its own advertising but had entered administration in March 2002. In the end, ITV Digital’s former terrestrial [[Multiplex (TV)|multiplex]]es were taken over by [[Crown Castle]] and the [[BBC]] to create the [[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]] free-to-air service. The first commercial was titled "The Return", and saw Monkey returning to Al's house on a dark and stormy night, seeking to reignite their friendship after five years on the run. The Monkey character pointedly explains in said commercial that he is not a chimpanzee, he is a monkey, a nod to PG Tips' chimpanzee family.

One of the adverts was a spoof of the "deli scene" from the movie ''[[When Harry Met Sally...]]''. In the advert, Monkey describes the taste of PG Tips by saying "Oh Yes" repeatedly similarly like in the movie. The advert then moves to a scene with a woman at a nearby table asking the waiter "I'll have whatever he's having". The advert ends with the tagline "How would you describe the taste?" It was first shown on 3 February 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/feb/01/pg-tips-when-harry-met-sally|title=PG Tips spoofs When Harry Met Sally in latest Monkey ad|last=Sweney|first=Mark|date=1 February 2010|work=The Guardian|location=London|access-date=19 September 2017}}</ref>

Another advert, promoting the naturally occurring [[theanine]] in PG Tips, featured Monkey and Al playing the characters of Captain Mainwaring and Private Pike from the popular sitcom [[Dad's Army]].

When PG Tips released the "Special Moments" range (initially "The New Ones"), another advert was released to advertise the "Fresh" one. It featured Monkey and Al out rambling. Monkey says to Al that they need a cup of the "Fresh" one. Al takes so long to decide how the tea tastes that before he can come to a conclusion, Monkey has been swept away by an eagle. This advert was later modified showing Monkey being dropped off in the eagle's nest with the four flavours of the Special Moments range, as well as two eagle chicks next to him.

After the US federal decision in support of same-sex marriage in 2015, PG Tips depicted its Monkey character under the rainbow flag in a message of support for gay marriage, which received some criticism for being a political statement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/so-many-brands-have-gone-rainbow-coloured-i-dont-know-whether-to-take-pride-in-gay-marriage-or-buy-10353366.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/so-many-brands-have-gone-rainbow-coloured-i-dont-know-whether-to-take-pride-in-gay-marriage-or-buy-10353366.html |archive-date=2022-05-24 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=So many brands have gone rainbow-coloured I don't know whether to take|date=2015-06-29|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2019-07-16}}</ref>

In 2015, as part of a rebrand, adverts featured Monkey observing absurd things and deciding to "Keep it tea."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slrmag.co.uk/keep-it-tea-is-the-message-from-pg-tips/|title='Keep It Tea' is the message from PG tips - Scottish Local Retailer Magazine|website=www.slrmag.co.uk|date=4 September 2015|language=en-GB|access-date=19 September 2017|last1=Stein|first1=Findlay}}</ref>

In 2017, PG tips, Unilever, and software company Ubisend worked together to bring the Monkey persona to life through a [[Facebook Messenger]] chatbot for the Red Nose Day charity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ubisend.com/case-studies/unilever|title=Unilever raises 1 million laughs for Comic Relief with ubisend|work=ubisend|access-date=September 19, 2017}}</ref> For over three weeks leading up to [[Red Nose Day]], Facebook Messenger users could message Monkey and interact with him through his chatbot. Monkey also delivered one daily joke to each of his chatbot users at tea time with the goal of raising One Million Laughs for [[Comic Relief]].

In May 2024, PG Tips officially retired the Monkey character, stating that he was having a "well-deserved retirement".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/PGtips/status/1785549753859665952#m|title=PG tips (@PGtips) on X}}</ref>

In May 2025, Monkey (now voiced by [[Ivo Graham]]) returned to the adverts. In the adverts, he married to a woman named Alice (portrayed by [[Emily Atack]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/07/pg-tips-monkey-is-back-and-married-to-emily-atack/|title= PG Tips Monkey is back and 'married' to Emily Atack}}</ref>

===''A Tale of Two Continents''===
{{Infobox film
| name           = A Tale of Two Continents
| italic_title   = no <!-- remove this parameter if this section is ever split off into its own article -->
| image          = 
| caption        = 
| director       = [[Darren Bailes]]
| producer       = 
| music          = <!--I'm going to find out about who directed this, produced that, who did what-->
| cinematography = 
| editing        = 
| distributor    = 
| released       = {{Film date|2008|03|21|cinema|df=y}}
| runtime        = 9 minutes (extended DVD run)
5 (cinema run)
| country        = United Kingdom
| language       = English
| budget         = 
| studio         = 
}}
A [[short film]] entitled ''A Tale of Two Continents'' was released in March 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/mar/04/advertising|location=London|work=The Guardian|first=Mark|last=Sweney|title=Monkey gets big-screen tea break|date=4 March 2008|access-date=24 September 2018}}</ref> It is an [[adventure film]] [[parody]], starring Monkey "wanting to change the world one tea at a time". It was shown in [[Movie theater|cinemas]] from 21 March 2008 until 10 April, before the showings of family films such as ''[[The Spiderwick Chronicles]]'' and ''[[Horton Hears a Who!]]''

It was also given free in special limited edition versions of PG Tips in early 2008 as an [[EcoDisc]], a type of DVD that is thinner and more flexible due to it being made of a single layer of [[polycarbonate]], instead of two layers. The limited edition package also featured a teatowel of the EcoDisc cover described as the "official merchandise" of the film.